Evidence of reactive astrocytes but not peripheral immune system activation in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome
Résumé
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited mental retardation and is one of the few known genetic causes of autism. FXS results from the loss of gene function, thus knockout mice provide a model to study impairments associated with FXS and autism and to test potential therapeutic interventions. The inhibitory serine-phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is lower in brain regions of knockout mice than wild-type mice and the GSK3 inhibitor lithium rescues several behavioral impairments in knockout mice. Therefore, we examined if the serine-phosphorylation of GSK3 in knockout mice also was altered outside the brain and if administration of lithium ameliorated the macroorchidism phenotype. Additionally, since GSK3 regulates numerous functions of the immune system and immune alterations have been associated with autism, we tested if immune function is altered in knockout mice. The inhibitory serine-phosphorylation of GSK3 was significantly lower inthe testis and liver of knockout mice than wild-type mice, and chronic lithium treatment reduced macroorchidism in knockout mice. No alterations in peripheral immune function were identified in knockout mice. However, examination of glia, the immune cells of the brain, revealed reactive astrocytes in several brain regions of knockout mice and treatment with lithium reduced this in the striatum and cerebellum. These results provide further evidence of the involvement of dysregulated GSK3 in FXS, and demonstrate that lithium administration reduces macroorchidism and reactive astrocytes in knockout mice.
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